Corruption dynamics: Integrating structure, agency and institutional logics across contexts

Abstract

Although the literature on corruption is extensive, it is also fragmented, with inconsistencies and inconclusive findings that limit theoretical and practical advancements. Scholars have called for multi‐factor, multi‐level frameworks that integrate macro, micro and longitudinal aspects to provide a more cohesive understanding of corruption's persistence and mitigation. This study addresses these calls through a systematic literature review, offering a critical synthesis of structural and agential perspectives on corruption. Thereby it identifies gaps in existing scholarship and proposes an integrated framework that situates corruption within the interaction of two key dimensions: institutional resource allocation and institutional maturity. By drawing on institutional logics, it positions corruption and anti‐corruption as outcomes of competing institutional logics, shaped by the resources committed to their embedding. This perspective enables a dynamic examination of how structure and agency interact to sustain or challenge corruption. Specifically, it accounts for how institutional resources either reinforce dominant logics or enable shifts towards alternative, reformist logics. It allows for the study of dynamic feedback loops and pathways that influence corruption's evolution. Resource allocation and institutional maturity interact recursively, shaping institutional logics over time. These dynamics highlight the role of feedback loops in driving corruption escalation, stabilization or reform. By synthesizing insights from the literature, the study highlights pathways for future research, including investigating the role of institutional resource allocation, temporal dynamics and the mechanisms underlying transitions between stages of corruption. It reconciles theoretical tensions between structural and agential accounts, offering actionable insights for scholars and policymakers.